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Our Opinion: Super ’Noles

TLH
5:58 p.m. EDT May 21, 2014

We’ve seen this sort of success before. It’s springtime, and a talented Florida State team is playing host to a Super Regional, the last stop before the College World Series. The Seminoles are ranked in the top 10 and have some strong pitching, one of the best hitters in the country, and a strong following that will pack the stands.

But wait a minute. This isn’t baseball we’re talking about. The guys have an Atlantic Coast Conference tournament to get through first.

No, the team that is garnering all the excitement today is the FSU women’s softball team.

For the first time, the women are playing host to a Super Regional, a best-of-three series against the University of Michigan that begins tonight at 7 at JoAnne Graf Field on the FSU campus. Be sure to follow along on a live blog at Tallahassee.com.

The Seminoles are ranked No. 3 in the country, with a 53-6 record. At home, they are 32-1 this season — probably not a comforting piece of information for the visiting Wolverines of the Big Ten Conference.

If you haven’t experienced the competition and enthusiasm of a women’s softball game, now would be a great time to do so. This team has captured the attention of Tallahassee, and not just at the ballpark, which was packed for every game of the recent Regional. During an 11-inning victory over the University of South Florida, we understand that men watching the game on television at a local barbershop wouldn’t leave, even after their hair was cut.

Ms. Waldrop has a school-record 36 wins this year (she is 36-4 overall) and a 0.90 earned run average (second-best in the nation).

Ms. O’Brien is the best slugger around, with a .441 batting average and 23 home runs (tied for tops in the nation). That’s more than a third of her team’s home runs, and note that this is in a sport in which scores of 1-0 or 2-1 are not uncommon.

Check out what those guys at the barbershop now know: These FSU women are fun to watch. Go, ’Noles.